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More than twenty Olympic medal winners, coaches and further world-class competitors have endorsed a statement urging a halt to the death penalty of a boxing champion and coach, who is sentenced to die in the country.

Growing Worldwide Condemnation

Amidst growing international outrage over the country's expanding employment of capital punishment as a means of suppression, the strongly worded appeal censures the Iranian regime's verdict to confirm the capital punishment of the boxing champion.

The boxer, 30, from the city in the northeastern region, was detained for being involved in national uprisings in 2019 and indicted of supporting an dissident organization. He has spent 60 months in detention, where he has been mistreated and confined in isolation.

“Competition is intended to promote optimism, togetherness, and fortitude,” the supporters stated. “The death penalty of a winner for his political views is a blatant attack on these values and a warning to every athlete who ventures to express dissent.

Record of Putting to Death Competitors

The letter said that the athlete's circumstances was part of a pattern and emphasized Iran’s history of executing competitors for their beliefs, such as Habib Khabiri, skipper of the football side, and a volleyball captain, captain of the women's volleyball squad. In two thousand twenty, a wrestling champion, a 27-year national wrestling champion, was put to death.

Further signatories to the appeal consist of Tracy Edwards, who skippered the inaugural all-female crew in a round-the-world competition and was the first woman to receive a renowned nautical honor; the former captain of the Australian football team Craig Foster; and a footballer, who was in the national team for the 1978 World Cup.

Arrest and Unfair Trial

Vafaei Sani was taken into custody in March 2020. The allegations against him included “causing deterioration on Earth through arson and ruin of government belongings”. His ruling has been overturned on two occasions but on October 4 it was upheld on the third attempt. His trial was condemned as “deeply biased” by advocates and groups.

Appeal to United Nations

The appeal to halt the boxer's execution is subsequent to a previous letter to the global human rights chief for freedoms, signed by in excess of 100 human rights experts and entities, calling for measures to prevent the sports figure's execution.

Death Penalty Surge

As per data, there is an “death penalty surge in the country, which has attained horrific levels”. In two thousand twenty-three, authorities executed at least over 850 people – a forty-eight percent rise on 2022. The year before, statistics showed nine hundred seventy-two executions, representing the highest number since two thousand fifteen. Over eight hundred people have been executed so far in 2025.

Activists and opponents are victims, notably in the wake of the the year 2022 uprising. Analysts say the government have employed the death penalty to suppress dissent, generate fear among the population and tighten their control on authority.